The following post is a reflection from NC State Steward Catie McEntee following a campus presentation about dumpster diving.
What do cupcake mix, decorative bottles and headphones have in common? They are all things that Dr. Bridget Lassiter, a crop science research assistant at NC State, has found while dumpster diving outside local stores. Add to her list of treasures clothing, office supplies, shampoo, holiday cards and lots of bread and produce, and you may start to wonder, “Who would throw all that out?”
After 11 years of dumpster diving, Lassiter isn’t surprised; this is a common occurrence at many local stores and restaurants. Store employees often throw out products that are out of style, damaged or close to expiration – no matter how useful the product may be. Some businesses even destroy unsold merchandise before discarding it so that dumpster divers can’t return the found items for a profit.
But many dumpster divers don’t dive for profit; they dive to prevent unnecessary waste. In Wake County, where nearly 20 percent of children are hungry, you can’t help but wonder why these useful but unsellable items aren’t donated to help those in need. Many managers and business owners may cite liability as a reason for not donating past-peak food to shelters or food pantries, but according to Lassiter, the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act protects food donors from such liability. In fact, some stores donate unwanted food to organizations like the Interfaith Food Shuttle, which delivers the food to other organizations that help feed the hungry.
Merchandise from other stores could similarly be diverted from the landfill and donated to worthy causes. How can we encourage businesses to be responsible about what they do with their leftovers?
Image: Flickr